The executive director-treasurer of the South Carolina Baptist Convention said he is concerned about the long-term effectiveness of an executive order related to federal funding of abortion.
On March 24, one day after President Obama signed the controversial healthcare reform measure, he issued an executive order the White House said would apply long-standing restrictions on government support of abortion to the new law.
“I’m pleased the president signed the executive order,” said the SCBC’s Jim Austin. “However, an executive order is not a long-term solution.
“When you have the exception clause, particularly with the phrase, ‘life and health of the mother,’ there are many interpretations of exactly what that means. I’d like to have more clarity over how those funds will be used.”
Pro-life organizations say the order does little to prevent federal money under the legislation from being used to fund abortions or subsidize insurance plans that cover abortions.
“The executive order does not carry the force of law,” said Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
“This is why the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops made it clear that the executive order did not ‘begin to address the problem’ of protecting the unborn. And the reason is simple: The courts have made it clear that an executive order does not stand up to laws passed by Congress. We have over four decades of federal courts mandating that abortion is required in federal healthcare programs unless Congress clearly forbids such funding.”
The House approved the Senate version of healthcare reform in a 219-212 vote.
– With reporting from Baptist Press.